Why we want to change the voting age:
- 16 year olds are already expected to decide on their life path, if they are expected to do that at 16, they should be able to vote on issues that affect that life path.
- Civics classes in Ontario are taken from ages 14-16 so students are educated on political issues when they are voting.
- Many 16 year olds are employed and pay taxes, but have no say in how those taxes are used.
- Studies have shown that people 16 and 17 years old in Austria (the only country with a nationwide voting age of 16) make the same quality of voting choices as older voters.
- In Austria the political interest of 16 and 17 year olds was higher after lowering the voting age.
- Studies have shown that first-time voters are more likely to vote at the ages of 16 and 17 than at 18 to 20. These voting rates were not significantly lower than average voter turnout rates.
